The old adage “Content is King” still applies, perhaps now more than ever. So, how do you get free
coverage from your press releases? Follow these steps and up your editorial game!
Publications, online and print, are always on the look out for exciting new content. Make your content
easily accessible and ready with these easy tips:
- Fit: First, where does your story, product or company news belong? Careful research will
increase your odds of getting your news published. Read a few issues of the magazine, or
blog before you consider sending something off. Don’t send a press release on a new duck
call to a law enforcement magazine. - More fit: Who is the key contact? Don’t send your release to everyone on the masthead.
Target the one person who will care about your news. Often, you’ll find the contact for
product news, or company news, or reviews. Getting your news to the right person means
they are more likely to read it than trash it! - Format: It is very important to make the job of publishing your news as easy possible for the
editor. If they have to resize an image, extract your news from a PDF or visit another site to
download images and info, you can bet your news will be placed on the back burner. Check
out their guidelines and follow them. Most editors prefer a Word file that they can cut and
paste from. - Provide high resolution images in commonly used file extensions such as jpeg and make sure
your DPI is at least 300. - Include your specifications and MSRP.
- Don’t make a sales pitch and avoid words like “revolutionary,” “innovative,” “the best,” etc.
- Remember to highlight the benefits of using your product or service and avoid a laundry list
of features that don’t provide a tangible benefit to your customer. - If an editor does contact you for additional information or images, respond as soon as
humanly possible. If they hear crickets, they will most likely move on to the next press
release. - And most importantly, spell check! All editors love a good laugh, but it shouldn’t be at your
company’s expense. Take a moment and spell check and have someone else review prior to
offering it to the world. - Don’t hound editors to see if they have received your press release or when they are
publishing it. No one likes a pest. Respect that editors are working hard and will provide the
news that their readership demands. - And finally, keep plugging away. It may take several news announcements before your
company hits an editor’s radar. A thank you email is also a nice way to cement what could
be a very beneficial relationship
